QUICK LINKS

After your own heartA person after your own heart thinks the same way as you.Not to be sneezed atIf something is not to be sneezed at, it should be taken seriously.Road to Damascus(Road to Damascus experience) If someone has a great and sudden change in their ideas or beliefs, then this is a road to Damascus change, after the conversion of Paul to Christianity while heading to Damascus to persecute Christians.

IDIOM

Meaning

A day late and a dollar short

(USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.

A fool and his money are soon parted

This idiom means that people who aren’t careful with their money spend it quickly. ‘A fool
and his money are easily parted’ is an alternative form of the idiom.

A fool at 40 is a fool forever

If someone hasn’t matured by the time they reach forty, they never will.

A long row to hoe

Something that is a long row to hoe is a difficult task that takes a long time.

A lost ball in the high weeds

A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing,
where they are or how to do something.

A month of Sundays

A month of Sundays is a long period of time: I haven’t seen her in a month of Sundays.

A penny for your thoughts

This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.

A penny saved is a penny earned

This means that we shouldn’t spend or waste money, but try to save it.

A picture is worth a thousand words

A picture can often get a message across much better than the best verbal description.

A pretty penny

If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.

A problem shared is a problem halved

If you talk about your problems, it will make you feel better.

A rising tide lifts all boats

This idiom, coined by John F Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.

A still tongue keeps a wise head

Wise people don’t talk much.

A watched pot never boils

Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.

A1

If something is A1, it is the very best or finest.

Above board

If things are done above board, they are carried out in a legal and proper manner.

Ace up your sleeve

If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don’t know about.

Acid test

An acid test is something that proves whether something is good, effective, etc, or not.

Across the board

If something applies to everybody, it applies across the board.

Act of war

An act of war is a action that is either intended to start a war or that is interpreted as being sufficient cause for a war.

Add fuel to the fire

If people add fuel to the fire, they make a bad situation worse.

Act of God

An act of God is something like an earthquake or floods that human beings cannot prevent or control.

Against the clock

If you do something against the clock, you are rushed and have very little time to do it.

Age before beauty

When this idiom is used, it is a way of allowing an older person to do something first, though often in a slightly sarcastic way.

All over the map

(USA) If something like a discussion is all over the map, it doesn’t stick to the main topic and goes off on tangents.

As a rule

If you do something as a rule, then you usually do it.

As cold as ice

This idiom can be used to describe a person who does not show any emotion.

As cool as a cucumber

If someone is as cool as a cucumber, they don’t get worried by anything.

At loose ends

If you are at a loose end, you have spare time but don’t know what to do with it.

Axe to grind

(USA) If you have an axe to grind with someone or about something, you have a grievance, a resentment and you want to get revenge or sort it out. In American English, it is ‘ax’.

Back to the salt mine

If someone says they have to go back to the salt mine, they have to return to work.

Barking up the wrong tree

If you are barking up the wrong tree, it means that you have completely misunderstood something or are totally wrong.

Barrel of laughs

If someone’s a barrel of laughs, they are always joking and you find them funny.

Be that as it may

Be that as it may is an expression which means that, while you are prepared to accept that there is some truth in what the other person has just said, it’s not going to change your opinions in any significant manner.

Beating a dead horse

(USA) If someone is trying to convince people to do or feel something without any hope of succeeding, they’re beating a dead horse. This is used when someone is trying to raise interest in an issue that no-one supports anymore; beating a dead horse will not make it do any more work.

Bee in your bonnet

If someone is very excited about something, they have a bee in their bonnet.

Bee’s Knees

If something is the bee’s knees, it’s outstanding or the best in its class.

Head is in the clouds

If a person has their head in the clouds, they have unrealistic, impractical ideas.

Heart of glass

When someone has a heart of glass, they are easily affected emotionally.

Heart of steel

When someone has a heart of steel, they do not show emotion or are not affected emotionally.

Heaven knows

If you ask someone a question and they say this, they have no idea.

Hit the books

If you hit the books, you study or read hard.

In your element

If you are in your element, you feel happy and relaxed because you are doing something that you like doing and are good at. “You should have seen her when they asked her to sing; she was in her element.”

It cost the earth

If something costs the earth, it is very expensive indeed.

Mad as a hornet

(USA) If someone is as mad as a hornet, they are very angry indeed.

Make a better fist

If someone makes a better fist of doing something, they do a better job.

Make hay

If you make hay, or make hay while the sun shines, you take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises and do not waste time.”

Man upstairs

When people refer to the man upstairs, they are referring to God.

Man of letters

A man of letters is someone who is an expert in the arts and literature, and often a writer too.

Man of parts

A man of parts is a person who is talented in a number of different areas or ways.

Man’s man

A man’s man is a man who does things enjoyed by men and is respected by other men.

Many hands make light work

This idiom means that when everyone gets involved in something, the work gets done quickly.

Many happy returns

This expression is used to wish someone a happy birthday.

Meet your Maker

If someone has gone to meet their Maker, they have died. The “maker” is God.

Memory like an elephant

‘An elephant never forgets’ is a saying, so if a person has a memory like an elephant, he or she has a very good memory indeed.

Mince words

If people mince words, or mince their words, they don’t say what they really mean clearly.

Mind your own beeswax

(USA) Or “Mind your beeswax”. This idiom means that people should mind their own business and not interfere in other people’s affairs.

Miss the boat

If you miss the boat, you are too late to take advantage of an opportunity.

Monday morning quarterback

(USA) A Monday morning quarterback is someone who, with the benefit of hindsight (looking back at what has already happened), knows what should have been done in a situation.

New kid on the block

A new kid on the block is a person who has recently joined a company, organization, team, etc, and does not know how things work yet.

New lease on life

If someone finds new enthusiasm and energy for something, they have a new lease on life.

New York minute

(USA) If something happens in a New York minute, it happens very fast.

Nick of time

If you do something in the nick of time, you do it at the very last minute or second.

No bed of roses

If something isn’t a bed of roses, it is difficult.

No great shakes

If someone is no great shakes at something, they are not very good at it.

No quarter

This means without mercy. We can say no quarter given or asked.

No strings attached

If something has no strings attached, there are no obligations or requirements involved.

Old flames die hard

It’s very difficult to forget old things, especially the first romantic love.

On good terms

If people are on good terms, they have a good relationship.

Open book

If a person is an open book, it is easy to know what they think or how they feel about things.

Over the hill

If someone is over the hill they have reached an age at which they can longer perform as well as they used to. Also, young people think older people are “over the hill” before older people do. Also, if a person thinks he is “over the hill”, he is.

Over the top

If something is over the top, it is excessive or unnecessary. It refers to the moment a soldier leaves the trenches.

Paint yourself into a corner

(USA) If someone paints themselves into a corner, they get themselves into a mess. If you really are painting a floor and finish painting in a corner with no way out of the room without walking on wet paint, you are in a mess because you will have to wait in the corner until the paint dries.

Peanut gallery

An audience that interrupts, boos or heckles a performer, speaker, etc, is a peanut gallery.

Perish the thought

Perish the thought is an expression meaning that you really hope something will not happen.

Put your best foot forward

If you put your best foot forward, you try your best to do something.

Put your shoulder to the wheel

When you put your shoulder to the wheel, you contribute to an effort. This comes from before there were cars. If a wagon got stuck in the mud, a bunch of men would push it out of the mud by putting their “shoulders to the wheel” and pushing.

Quick as a flash

If something happens quick as a flash, it happens very fast indeed — like lightening.

Quitters never win; winners never quit

If you quit you will never get what you want, but if you keep trying you will find a way to get what you want. (‘Quitters never win, winners never quit, but those who never win and never quit are idiots’ is a variation accredited to Larry Kersten)

Rain on your parade

If someone rains on your parade, they ruin your pleasure or your plans. Of course, here on Guam, it most times rains on our plans so this does not have much meaning here. We just put up a canopy.

Rake someone over the coals

(USA) If you rake someone over the coals, you criticize or scold them severely. Ouch! It hurts.

Real plum

A real plum is a good opportunity. On Guam it might be a “real mango”.

Red carpet

If you give someone the red-carpet treatment, you give them a special welcome to show that you think they are important. You can roll out the red carpet, too.

Rest is gravy

(USA) If the rest is gravy, it is easy and straightforward once you have reached that stage.

Rice missionary

A rice missionary gives food to hungry people as a way of converting them to Christianity.

Right as rain

If things are right as rain, then everything is going well in your life.

Rome was not built in a day

This idiom means that many things cannot be done instantly, and require time and patience.

Run off your feet

If you are run off your feet, you are extremely busy and don’t have enough time to do everything.

Run the show

If someone runs the show, they like to be in control and make all the decisions.

Sail close to the wind

If you sail close to the wind, you take risks to do something, going close to the limit of what is allowed or acceptable.

Scare the daylights out of someone

If you scare the daylights out of someone, you terrify them. (This can be made even stronger by saying ‘the living daylights’.)

Stop cold

To stop suddenly out of surprise.

Swim against the tide

If you swim against the tide, you try to do something that is very difficult because there is a lot of opposition to you. (‘Go against the tide’ is an alternative form.)

Swim with the tide

If you swim with the tide, you do the same as people around you and accept the general consensus. (‘Go with the tide’ is an alternative form.)

Swimmingly

If things are going swimmingly, they are going very well.

Take forty winks

If you take 40 winks, you have a short sleep.

Take sand to the beach

Doing something that is completely pointless or unnecessary is like taking sand to the beach because most beaches have plenty of sand already.

Swim with the tide

If you swim with the tide, you do the same as people around you and accept the general consensus. (‘Go with the tide’ is an alternative form.)

Swimmingly

If things are going swimmingly, they are going very well.

Take forty winks

If you take 40 winks, you have a short sleep.

Take sand to the beach

Doing something that is completely pointless or unnecessary is like taking sand to the beach because most beaches have plenty of sand already.

That is the way the cookie crumbles

“That’s the way the cookie crumbles” means that things don’t always turn out the way we want.

That ship has sailed

A particular opportunity has passed you by when that ship has sailed.

The apple does not fall far from the tree

Children grow up to be like their parents.

The ball’s in your court

If somebody says this to you, they mean that it’s up to you to decide or take the next step (basketball).

Turn turtle

If something turns turtle, it turns upside down.

Turn up like a bad penny

If someone turns up like a bad penny, they go somewhere where they are not wanted.

Turn up your nose.

If someone turns their nose up at something, they reject it or look down on it because they don’t think it is good enough for them.

Twist someone’s arm

If you twist someone’s arm, you put pressure on them to try to make them do what you want them to do.